How I Find Time To Bond With My Daughter Every Week

I used to fret about getting quality time with my daughter, as she is at the stage where she prefers being curled up in the corner with a good book (she is my child for sure!) versus hanging around her mom all day. Sob.

She’s entering that tween stage where she is exploring who she is, who she can trust, who is in her crew, and how she wants to express herself. We have a pretty good relationship, but I know the teen years are coming like a freight train and I want to solidify her trust in me. That I’m here for her, I can offer advice and a shoulder to cry on as she navigates what can be a particularly confusing and trying time.

I try to get in a few days of one-on-one time with both my children every month and I’m still juggling how and when to split my time. But I realized that Sundays are the best days for quality time with my daughter, when we take a good couple of hours and do her hair.

Our ritual begins in the aisles of Target or Walmart, selecting deep conditioners with lots of nourishing ingredients like Dove Hair’s Quench Absolute collection. Once we get home, I deep condition her hair, reminding her how beautiful her hair is, asking her about what’s going on in school and with her friends. She melts into my hands when I wash her hair, opening up in a way that makes me think my hands are magic. (But really, scalp massages are just God’s gift to us mere mortals.)

Then we sit and I moisturize each curl, turning off my phone and taking my time. Sometimes we pick out a movie to watch together (she’s on a “Princess and the Frog” kick lately) and we laugh and giggle together while making her crown beautiful. She is kind and patient as I try my best to learn how to cornrow and flat twist, reminding me that this relationship goes both ways. She pours into me as well.

I hope the lesson she takes away from our hair ritual is that she is beautiful, her curls are beautiful and her mother loved taking the time to play in her hair.

You can also download the new #LoveYourCurls emojis—used in all text and messenger apps (i.e. iMessage, SMS/text, Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, etc.)—in the App Store or on Google Play to add some curl love to your conversations!

Tell me: How do you make sure you get one-on-one time with your kids?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Dove. The opinions and text are all mine.